1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a toy car steering assembly, and more particularly to a steering assembly for a radio controlled toy car which is adapted for rendering the toy car directionally unstable in a turn.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
The prior art is well aware of radio controlled toy cars. Some radio controlled toy cars of the prior art have included a steering motor and a reducing gear train which is coupled to a potentiometer and to a conventional toy car steering mechanism.
The conventional steering mechanism typically includes a tie-bar and a pair of pivotable kingpins which are engaged by the tie-bar in eccentric relationship to the axes of pivot of the kingpins. Rotation of the steering motor is translated through the reducing gear train to lateral motion of the tie-bar. Two steered wheels of the car are affixed to the kingpins so that lateral motion of the tie-bar pivots the kingpins thereby turning the steered wheels of the car. The potentiometer senses when the steering motor has turned the steering wheel to the extent dictated by an input of a player, and through an appropriate electronic feedback mechanism causes deenergization of the steering motor. Thus, in effect the steering motor rotates and turns the steered wheels of the toy car in proportion to the steering input optionally selected by the player. The above summarized steering assembly is customarily termed in the art proportional steering assembly or proportional steering.
Generally speaking, the main objectives of the self-propelling toy car industry and particularly of the self-propelling radio controlled toy car industry have included making the toy cars faster, more responsive in obeying steering commands and more directionally stable in turns. In so doing, the prior art has largely ignored the play value of a toy car which is deliberately rendered directionally unstable in a turn. Such a toy car provides, in a child's imagination, a realistic imitation of a high speed racing car which "crashes" in a turn. The present invention is directed to such a toy car.